Clothes hanging rack for automobiles



March 9, 1965 w. H. HlSER CLOTHES HANGING RACK FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed May 28, 1963 INVENTOR.

William H. Hiser I m F United States Patent 3,172,541 CLOTHES HANGING RACK FOR AUTOMOBILES William H. Hiser, 712 E. Cerro Gordo, Decatur, Ill. Filed May 28, 1963, Ser. No. 283,750 4 Claims. (Cl. 211-1052) The present invention is generally concerned with automobile accessories, and is more particularly directed toward a clothes hanging rack for automobiles.

It is a primary object of the instant invention to provide a means for temporarily supporting clothes, hung on standard hangers, within an automobile in a manner so as to maintain the neatness of the clothes and, at the same time, in no way interfere with the drivers vision or the comfort of the passengers.

It is also a significant object of the instant invention to provide a clothes hanging rack which can accommodate itself to a wide range of different size and make automobiles, the installation of the rack requiring only a few seconds.

Another object of the instant invention is toprovide a clothes rack which, because of its orientation within the vehicle, eliminates the tendency for the clothing to be pulled toward and even out of any window which might be open while the car is in motion.

In conjunction with the above object, it is also an object of the instant invention to provide a clothes hanging rack which can be used in an open top convertible without any danger of the clothes being whipped about by the wind.

Furthermore, it is an object of the instant invention to provide a clothes hanging rack, which in addition to the above-mentioned versatility, is of extremely rigid construction and, upon installation, extremely stable.

Additionally, it is an object of the instant invention to provide a clothes hanging rack which can be completely FIGURE 2 is a partial perspective view of the forward end of the rack;

FIGURE 3 is a partial perspective view of the rear of the rack along with a portion of the intermediate exten sion member;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view taken substantially on a plane passing along line 44 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on a plane passing along line 55 in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the upper telescoping end of any one of the support legs.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally designates the clothes hanging rack comprising the instant invention, this rack 10 being longitudinally adjustable for engagement with both the rear window deck 12 and top portion of the front seat back 14 of any of a wide range of different size and make automobiles, one of which is generally designated by reference numeral 16. The rack 10 is to be of a height capable of suspending conventional clothes hangers 18 upon which clothing has been hung, with the longer articles of clothing 20 being maintained just above the automobile floor and with the shorter articles of clothing 22 being maintained above the rear seat. The rack, at the same time, is not to project to such a height as to interfere with the normal vision of the driver of the vehicle.

3,172,541 Patented Mar. 9, 1965 The rack 10 consists basically of a front tubular member 24, a rear tubular member 26, and an elongated extension rod or tube 28 having its opposite ends telescopically received within the opposed ends of the tubular members 24 and 26 in a snug though adjustable manner.

The rearward end portion 30 of the rear tubular member 26 is downwardly and rearwardly angled, this downwardly angled portion 30 being centrally deformed or compressed, as at 32, along the longitudinal axis thereof so as to form two generally parallel passages 34. The passages 34, as best seen in FIGURE 5, each has a cross section which tapers inwardly from an outer substantially circular portion so as to form a restricted inner portion.

The passages 34 receive the upper parallel ends 36 of the rear legs 38, these rear legs 38 diverging laterally from each other from a point slightly below the end of the downwardly extending portion 30 and terminating in laterally directed feet 40 which in turn are positioned, upon an installation of the rack 10, on the rear Window deck 12 as illustrated in FIGURE 1.

In order to maintain the rear legs 38 and feet 40 in their proper relation to the tubular member 26, as well as to each other, the upper end 36 of each leg 38 is provided with a lateral projection 42 which is received within the tapered portion of the corresponding passage 34 while the upper end 36 of the leg is positioned within the generally circular portion of the passage 34. In this manner, rotation of the leg 38 is prevented. Further, so as to prevent accidental removal of the legs 38 from the passages 34, a bolt 44 is passed transversely through the compressed central portion of the angled portion 30, a nut 46 being adjustably threaded on the bolt 44 whereby, upon a tightening of the bolt and nut combination, a slightly greater deformation of the portion 32 is produced, thereby clamping the legs 38, or upper portions 36 thereof within the passages 34.

The forward portion 48 of the forward tubular member 24 is, similar to the portion 30 of the rear member 26, downwardly and forwardly angled and centrally deformed along the longitudinal axis thereof as indicated by reference numeral 50 so as to form longitudinal passages similar to the passages 34 for the reception of the upper ends of the front legs 52. The upper ends of the legs 52 are provided with lateral projections similar to f the projections 42 and are similarly clamped within the downwardly angled portion 48 by means of a nut and bolt combination 54.

The front legs 52, orientated generally in the plane of the downwardly angled forward portion 48, diverge from each other and terminate in vertically orientated for wardly arced saddle portions 56 engaged over the upper edge of a front seat back 14 as illustrated in FIGURE 1, the arch of the saddle 56 being such so as to enable an accommodation of a substantial range of different thickness seat backs while maintaining the stability of the rack 10.

In order to prevent any damage to the seat back 14 or the window deck 12, it is contemplated that the legs 38 and 52 be vinyl coated along the entire length thereof except for the upper portions receivable within the passages. Further, each of the tubular portions 24 and 26 is to be provided, adjacent the downwardly angled portions 30 and 48, with vertical projections 58 so as to prevent any accidental slipping of the hangers 18 from the horizontal portion of the rack 10, these projections 58 consisting, in the preferred form, of elongated plugs extending substantially vertically through the tubular portions 24 and 26 and being afiixed to the lower surface thereof.

From the foregoing, it is considered to be readily apparent that a novel clothes hanging rack for automobiles has been defined, this rack, both because of its 3 longitudinal adjustability and because of the particular combination of flat rear supporting feet and saddle shaped for-ward seat back engaging portions, being particularly adaptable for a wide range of different size or type of automobiles.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur tothose skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a clothes hanging rack for automobiles, a pair of aligned tubular members, an elongated member having the opposite ends thereof adjustably telescoped within the opposed inner ends of the aligned tubular members,

the outer end portions of the tubular members being passages of each angled portion having cross sections which are substantially circular at the outer sides thereof and taper progressively inward toward the opposed inner sides, each leg member being located within the circular portion of the corresponding passage and having a lateral projection thereon positioned within, the tapered portion so as to prevent rotation of the leg.

2. In a clothes hanging rack for automobiles, a pair of aligned tubular members, an elongated member having the opposite ends thereof adjustably telescoped within the opposed inner ends of the aligned tubular members, the outer end portions of the tubular members being downwardly angled, each of said downwardly angled portions being centrally deformed along approximately the longitudinal axis thereof so as to form'two generally parallel passages, an elongated rod-like leg member received within each. passage and extending downwardly therefromfor engagement with a supporting surface, the passages of each angled portion having cross sections which are substantially circular at the outer sides there- 'of and taper progressively inward toward the opposed inner sides, each leg member being located within the circularportion of the corresponding passage and having a lateral projection thereon positioned within the tapered portion so as to prevent rotation'of the leg, and an adjustable bolt extending transversely through -'the centrally deformed portion of each downwardly angled portion so as to increase the deformation and releasably clamp the legs within the passages, the legs extending from one angled end portion terminating in laterally angled feat portions positionable on the rear window deck of an automobile,, and the legs extending from the other angled end portion terminating in forwardly arched portions engageable over the upper edge of the back of the front seat of an automobile.

3. In a clothes hanging rack for automobiles, a pair of spaced aligned elongated end members, an elongated central member adjustably engaged with the opposed inner ends of the end members for longitudinal adjustment of the end members relative to each other, the outer end portions of the end members being downwardly angled, each downwardly angled portion having two generally parallel passages extending inwardly from the end thereof, and an elongated rod like leg received within each passage and extending downwardly therefrom for engagement with a supporting surface, each of said passages having a substantially circular cross section and a laterally projecting narrow slot-like portion communicated therewith, each leg being located within the substantially circular portion of the corresponding passage and having a lateral projection on the upper portion thereof received Within the slot-like portion so as to prevent rotation of the leg, the legs extending from the passages of one, angled end portion diverging from each other and terminating in lateral outwardly angled feet positionable on the rear window deck of an automobile, and the legs extending from the passages of the other angled end portion diverging from each other and terminating in forwardly arched portions engageable over the upper edge of the back of the front seat of an automobile.

4. The device of claim 3 including :means for selectively reducing the size of the passages so as to clamp the legs therein.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,465,656 8/23 Swan r 30645 X 1,692,110 11/28 Cave 30645 X 1,722,122 7/29 Wilson 211 -86 X 2,336,679 12/43 Geib 287126 X 2,522,174 9/50 Hermsmeyer 211-86 X 2,573,275 10/51 Richey 22442.45 2,634,892 4/53 Waohowski 22429 2,639,111 5/53 Wells 306-45 X FOREIGN PATENTS 313,977 7/ 5 6 Switzerland. 846,982 9/60 Great Britain.

A. Primary Examiner, 

3. IN CLOTHES HANGING RACK FOR AUTOMOBILES, A PAIR OF SPACED ALIGNED ELONGATED END MEMBERS, AN ELONGATED CENTRAL MEMBER ADJUSTABLY ENGAGED WITH THE OPPOSED INNER ENDS OF THE END MEMBERS FOR LONGITUDINAL ADJUSTMENT OF THE END MEMBERS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, THE OUTER END PORTIONS OF THE END MEMBERS BEING DOWNWARDLY ANGLED, EACH DOWNWARDLY ANGLED PORTION HAVING TWO GENERALLY PARALLEL PASSAGES EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM THE END THEREOF, AND AN ELONGATED ROD-LIKE LEG RECEIVED WITHIN EACH PASSAGE AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A SUPPORTING SURFACE, EACH OF SAID PASSAGES HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION AND A LATERALLY PROJECTING NARROW SLOT-LIKE PORTION COMMUNICATED THEREWITH, EACH LEG BEING LOCATED WITHIN THE SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR PORTION OF THE CORRESPONDING PASSAGE 